By David Crystal

New from Cambridge University Press!

By Peter Mark Roget

This book "supplies a vocabulary of English words and idiomatic phrases 'arranged … according to the ideas which they express'. The thesaurus, continually expanded and updated, has always remained in print, but this reissued first edition shows the impressive breadth of Roget's own knowledge and interests."

Opinions on the utility of automated writing evaluation (AWE) tools and their potential effects on educational practices vary. While many AWE tools are impressive in terms of scoring reliability, the use of AWE for assessment purposes in writing classrooms has seen fierce discussion and opposition. More studies are needed to evaluate AWE tools in classrooms. This special issue will bring together a variety of studies related to AWE in the context of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). The issue will cover conceptual and empirical research on AWE tool development, AWE tool classroom implementation, and resulting pedagogical implications.

Research articles that include a theoretical discussion and/or empirical research on the promise, challenges, and issues related to the development, implementation, or evaluation of AWE tools are invited. These articles may investigate how AWE tools provide L2 learners, language teachers, and computational linguists with opportunities and challenges to:- Promote writing proficiency development- Encourage learner autonomy- Support pedagogical practices- Incorporate theories of Second Language Acquisition- Integrate L2 writing curricula- Develop theory-based AWE tools

By bringing together a variety of researchers and practitioners who have employed qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method methodologies in researching different AWE tools across different contexts and genres, this Special Issue will raise the awareness of researchers and practitioners regarding the use of AWE tools as part of classroom instruction. This issue is timely as new commercial and academic AWE tools are being used or introduced. The papers in this issue can generate both valuable guidance for implementation and also offer suggestions for needed research on the use of AWE tools as potential language learning technologies.

It is our hope that this Special Issue will stimulate lively discussion about (1) how to approach the theory-based design and use of different AWE tools in order to best address the needs of L2 learners in different contexts, (2) whether or not to integrate AWE tools into the L2 writing curriculum and use these tools as part of classroom instruction, and (3) how to effectively coordinate a variety of existing technologies in light of learner variables, such as self-regulated learning, motivation, and learner autonomy.

In a wider sense, this Special Issue will illustrate how developers design and create AWE tools, how instructors implement these tools in their classes, and how learners use them to improve their L2 writing skills. We will thus de-mystify the development of AWE tools for pedagogical purposes and shed light on best practices for teaching L2 writing with AWE tools.

Please send inquiries and abstracts to Volker Hegelheimer (volkerh@iastate.edu) before 1st August 2014. Please list CALICO Journal Special Issue in the subject line of your email.

Timeline:Deadline for submission of abstracts - 1 August 2014Notification of contributors - 1 September 2014First draft of papers to be submitted - 1 January 2015Second draft of papers to be submitted - 15 June 2015Special Issue to be published - February 2016